


Hellish Memories

by fergus80



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 14:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5166992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fergus80/pseuds/fergus80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Killian is taken to the underworld as the price to save Emma and Storybrooke from the Darkness. The Nevengers prepare to travel to the Underworld to get him back. But will Kilian be able to see Emma though the demons in his mind? Angst Ahoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hellish Memories

**Author's Note:**

> This spec fic was written about 5.08/.09 based on spoilers we had at the time of the Nevengers walking through Underbrooke. This is what I thought might happen, to those in the Underworld. 
> 
> NOTE: I’m not going to go into specifics about how Killian goes to the Underworld or how Rumple get’s his magic back (which since he is walking without a cane, I believe he thus has it back, but is no longer the DO (yeah I was wrong-lol)). 
> 
> Thanks to optomisticgirl for being my Beta for this thing! And this is for my other gutterflowers.

Killian didn’t understand what was happening. He knew he had been taken to the underworld. He did it for Emma, he did it for Henry, and the rest of his... friends and family. He hadn’t hesitated in the slightest. At the least he knew they were safe, that Emma was safe and no longer the dark one. Even if it meant he had to break his promise to her. He was a survivor no more. But what he didn’t understand was why he was still in Storybrooke. 

He walked across the deck of his ship docked at the pier. How did he get here? He remembers being pulled into a boat on the lake. “How did I get here?” He walks towards port, noticing the strange green tone in the sky. Something was wrong, he needed to get to Emma. Did something go wrong? 

Just as he got to the edge his body stopped, his clothing changing. He was dressed in a white uniform with a Navy Jacket. The gold buttons looked familiar, and then everything else changed. There were sailors all over the deck, and then he heard him. “Little brother, let’s prepare to set sail. I have a King to give a piece of my mind to.” He froze in place, heart racing, not wanting to turn to look.

He wanted to shake his head, to get the images out of it. But he couldn’t. Everything was becoming too real. His body seeming to move of its own accord. He tried to remember what he was doing before this. Where was he just trying to go? But he couldn’t remember, and as if compelled to, he answered his brother. “Aye, Aye Captain.” 

\--------

Emma looked at the others standing around her at the Storybrooke graveyard. Her parents, Henry, Regina, Robin and even Gold. She swallowed hard, remembering what Zelena had told her, how to make Merlin’s wand work. She squared her shoulders and swished the wand, her power having tasted both light and dark magic allowed the wand to work. Magic ebbed from the wand creating a swirling vortex. They all quickly moved inside Regina’s vault for her to perform the rest of the spell. She clutched the ring on the chain around her neck, swirling the wand over it, using the wand to have the ring lead them to it’s owner. The ring glowed, the vault shook as the vortex took them in. 

“Everyone hold on!” Emma called out, as everyone grabbed on to what they could. She closed her eyes and thought of him, “We’re coming to get you Killian. Hold on, just hold on, and come back to me.”

\---------

The Jewel of the Realm was in the air and almost home. Killian had a bad feeling about something. For some reason this all felt to familiar, but he didn’t know why. In his brother’s cabin leaning against the ladder, he looked over at his brother who was looking into a mirror, “How are you feeling?”

“Shipshape.” Liam then sighs and turns toward his little brother, “Killian... I should've listened to you.”

Killian waves his brother off, “I'm just glad you survived.” He pushes himself off the ladder, “What now, brother?”

“We reveal our King's cowardice,” Liam moves around the table and tugs his coat back on.

“Well, let's hope the realm sides with us,” Killian says turning towards his brother. 

“Oh, they will.” Liam sighs deeply and continues, “To fight battles using unholy weapons is, as you say, bad form.”

“Aye,” he turns towards his brother and helps to adjust his collar, “I will follow you till the ends of the earth, brother.”

At that they feel the ship glide into the water, landing back home. Killian laughs, but his gut is twisting inside, why he isn’t sure. “What do you say, Liam?” He hears a small gasp behind him. He slowly turns, “You want some company when you report to the admiralty?”

Liam is grunting in pain and falling to the floor, “Liam?” The knot in his stomach tightens, no, no, not again. For some reason, he knows he’s seen this before. He rushes towards his brother, “No! N... no! Liam” He gets down on the floor behind him, pulling him into his arms. The black veins running up the side of his brother’s face. His brother is choking, dying in his arms. “Liam. Liam!” He tries to undo his collar to stop the choking, though he knows it will do no good. “No, no, no, no! No, no, no! Help! Help!” He screams for the rest of the crew tears streaming down his face. He feels the last breath leave his brother, and his head falls back against the wall, “Liam…” he says once more, his voice breaking as does his heart one more time. 

\--------

“Everyone all right?” David calls out just after they ‘land’. Murmurs to the affirmative echo back. 

Emma looks around, “Okay, everyone remember. This is the meeting place. If we get separated, we come back here.”

“I will create a protection spell on the vault as soon as we exit. We will be the only ones that will be allowed inside,” Regina looks to Emma, “And Killian.”

Emma nods. They had decided to bring the vault and all of Regina’s and some of Rumple’s magical supplies with them. They weren’t sure what they would need to accomplish this task. “Everyone ready?” She looked over her shoulder as she got to the door. Robin and her mother carried their bows and arrows, her father had his gun, Henry his backpack, and finally Regina, Rumplestiltskin and herself had their magic. 

“Let’s go get him Mom,” Henry said to her with a smile.

She gave a brief smile back, and opened the door. They existed into… Storybrooke? Emma looked around, a green haze settled over everything, but they were still in the Storybrooke Cemetery. Emma turned on Rumple, “You said that it would work, that your blood on the ring, and Merlin’s wand would work!”

Rumple was looking around, as was everyone else, “It did work.”

“How can you say it worked, we’re still in…” And that is when she saw it. Or rather them. There were people just walking around, almost in a haze. She swallowed, it looked like they were in the middle of the Walking Dead. Her heart rate started to increase, if this is what happened to everyone else that came here, what was happening to Killian. Was she already too late?

A hand rested on her shoulder. “We’ll find him. We’ll bring him home. That’s what we do,” her mother gave her a soft smile. She nodded in return, her hand gripping the ring.

Regina started the protection spell on the vault while Emma took a vial out of her pocket. She took out the stopper and poured the potion onto the ring. It started to light up, wanting to lead them to where he was. The fact that it seemed to be working brightened her spirits. 

They started their walk out of the Cemetery and towards the center of town, the necklace leading the way. They walked slowly, on guard, weapons at the ready, not sure who or what they would encounter. 

\---------

One minute Liam was dead in his arms, and the next minute he was walking into a tavern, dressed in black leather. His mind blurred trying to keep up. His emotions experiencing whiplash. One moment he was heartbroken and grieving his brother and the next he was unbelievably happy. He was in this tavern to celebrate. A smile came across Captain Jones’s face. He was truly happy. He walked through the door, and shouted, “Where’s my scurvy crew?”

“Ah, here we be, Captain!” His crewman Thomas shouted. 

Killian walked over clapping his hands together, “Where’s my beer?” He is quickly given a drink. 

His crew huddle around him, holding out their mugs, “Congratulations!” 

He smiles back at his most trusted crew members, “Cheers!” and he gulps down his beer. They are there for hours, or what seems like minutes, until Killian tells them he must leave. He has his love he must get back to. He get’s a good mannered ribbing from his crew but they all agree to head back with him. They are walking through the streets on the way back to the docks when a beggar bumps into Killian’s arm. The hairs on the back of his neck stick up. That feeling of dread washes over him again, but he can’t stop the words from forming, “Hey, you. Stop!” He gestures to the beggar, “Even gutter rats have more manners than you just displayed.”

“I-I’m so sorry, sir.” The beggar turns towards him, hood still drawn low, and he sees the man’s green scale like skin. 

His gut is telling him to run, to get out of there, but he knows it will do know good. “Ah… I was wrong. Not a rat at all.” He turns to his crew, “More… More like a crocodile.” He bats away the cup of coins out of the beggar’s hands and then kicks the man over while his crew cheer him on as he continues his taunt, “What’s your name, crocodile?” The beggar gets up, completely unaffected, and removes his hood. Killian shakes a finger at him, recognizing him immediately. Milah’s husband, “You… I remember you.”

“Always nice to make an impression. Where are my manners?” The man flicks a coin towards Killian, “We haven’t been properly introduced. Rumpelstiltskin.” He takes a bow, and then stands back up straight and snarls, “Or, as others know me, the Dark One.”

Killian swallows - Milah’s husband is the Dark One. In that instant he makes a decision, and he knows he is a dead man. His crew look down and begin to back away. Rumplestiltskin notices, “Oh! I see my reputation precedes me.” 

He clenches his jaw, “It does.” He shouldn’t have come out tonight. He should be back home, on the Jolly Roger with her, and making sure she was okay. No matter what, she will remain safe, he promises himself. 

“Good! That’s going to save us time during the, uh, question and answer portion of our game.” He circles Killian and get’s right behind him. 

“What is it you want to know?”

“How’s Milah, of course?”

“Who?” he lies.

Rumple walks past him, “Only too happy to, uh, dig out the memory. But, it gets really messy.”

“She’s dead. Died a long time ago.” He tells him, hoping that will keep her safe, “What is it you want?”

“We didn’t get a chance to finish our duel.”

Killian goes to draw his sword, but Rumpelstiltskin stops him, “Not now. Tomorrow at dawn. I am not a cruel man. Get your affairs in order.” He says with a flourish of his hands. “Also, you can spend tonight knowing, it will be your last. Maybe I am cruel. And don’t think about trying to escape. Because I will find you, and I will gut your entire crew like a fish.” And with that he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Killian quickly turned to his crew, “Not a word of this to ANYONE.” 

“But Captain…”

He shakes his head, “No, not anyone. I will take care of this myself tomorrow. And if for some reason I don’t return,” but he knew with certainty that he wouldn’t. He looks at Thomas and simply says “Take care of them.”

\---------

The group is getting closer to the center of town and are approaching Gold’s shop. The town is in chaos. Busted out windows, signs hanging. Emma’s own bug completely torched. Emma hears Regina gasp behind her, and turns to look, “What?”

Regina looks pale and points ahead, and then Emma and everyone else sees what or more precisely who she does - Cora. She is walking like the rest of the dead are, like zombies. Emma looks back to Regina, “Ignore her, try not to look.” 

Robin reaches out his hand, and grasps Regina’s. She willingly takes it to draw strength and to remember why she is here. Emma helped save her true love at great personal cost, it was the least she could do. 

As they get closer, they see Cora all of a sudden stop walking. They all do the same, not sure what to expect. This is a first. They watch as Cora’s outfit changes, and the background of Storybrooke right around Cora changes. It looks like Regina’s old bedroom back in the Enchanted forest. “What the hell…” Emma says.

Everyone is in shock at what they are seeing, and even more so, once they see Regina there to. A younger version of Regina. “Oh my God,” Regina says gripping Robin’s hand tighter, “I remember this.”

Cora enters Regina’s bedroom, and sees a large object covered in a sheet, “What’s this?” 

The other Regina answers, “I don’t know. A gift?”

“Maybe it’s a portrait.” Cora waves her hand and magically removes the covering, revealing a mirror. “Oh, a looking glass. Not nearly as personal. I wonder, sometimes, if the people really love you.”

Emma turns back to Regina, as Henry grasps Regina’s other hand. “What is this? When is this?” 

Regina looks down, “It’s when I sent my mother to Wonderland.” 

Rumple chimes in, “I believe I understand what is happening. They are reliving some of their worst moments.”

Snow gasps, “What? Why?”

“This is the Underworld, or Hell,” he replies. 

They turn back to the scene in time to see Regina’s anger building at her mother’s words and she lashes out with magic, pushing Cora into the mirror. Cora goes through the mirror and the mirror shatters. They see Cora fall backwards, and then she is back in her pantsuit, back in the clothes she died in. She slowly picks herself up from the ground, and starts walking again as if nothing happened. 

Everyone looks to Regina, she takes a calming breath. “Well, let’s not wait around here. I agreed to get your Pirate and get the Hell out of here. Now let’s move.” 

They all turn back and walk closer to the center of town, the ring leading them.  
\---------

He looks back one last time at Milah. She is sleeping soundly, and he quietly leaves their quarters and heads above deck. He see’s Thomas waiting for him. “If I’m not back by day break, a few hours from now, set sail.” 

Thomas nods at him, “Aye Captain.” 

He looks back towards the door he just exited, “If she awakes, tell her that I am just getting information at the Tavern and will arrive back soon. Do not let her leave the ship.”

“Aye, sir.”

His mind is telling him to just chain her up, tell the ship to leave now. But his voice won’t find the words. He quickly arrives at the designated dueling spot and waits. But he doesn’t have to wait long. A sword is thrown down to his feet. He looks up and Rumpelstiltskin is sitting on a nearby archway.

“Pick it up, dearie, and let’s begin.”

“There’s no need,” Killian says reaching for his own sword, the one that he has had since he was in the Royal Navy. The only part of that lieutenant he kept from those days. But his sword is gone. 

Rumpelstiltskin appears behind him, his magic already putting the sword in his enemy's hands. “Sorry, but killing a man with his own sword was just too delicious to pass up.”

Killian picks up the sword on the ground and tests the weight. He knows it will not matter with a duel against the Dark One, someone who cannot die. But he refuses to go down without a fight, and attacks first with a grunt and a loud clash of metal. The duel is fast pace, up and down, side to side. He attempts a gab, and the Dark One disappears. 

Killian twists around, his long leather coat fanning out around him. “Ships that pass in the night. Well, at least one ship,” Rumplestiltskin teases him. The two of them continue fighting fast and furious, the metal clanking against one another. Killian giving it his all, fighting for his life, pushing hard towards the man. Rumple quickly, inhumanly, sidesteps and Killian falls into a pile of crates and boxes. He quickly gets back up, and starts after the Dark One again. Quick thrusts, different angles, he is trying to get him off guard, but then Rumpelstiltskin’s sword comes down at just the right angle and he loses his sword. He is down on one knee trying to reach it, when the Dark One’s sword moves up to his throat. 

He knows this is it, but part of it fears it is not. Part of him knows better. “Go on. I’m ready for the sword,” he begs, wanting to end this now. Wanting to make sure…

“No… Do you know what it’s like to have your wife stolen from you?” Rumplestiltskin sneers at him, “To feel powerless to stop it? It feels like having your heart ripped from your chest. Actually, let me show you.” Killian feels the Dark One plunging his hand into his chest, his fingers grasping his heart. The pain is unimaginable, and hopes for it all to be over soon. But just as he is about to have his heart pulled out, he hears a voice he was wishing would be safely tucked away.

“Stop!” Milah screams 

Rumpelstiltskin looks up at the women in shock, “Milah…”

Killian’s eyes close. No. No, no, no. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Rumplestiltskin removes his hand from his chest and looks to her, “How?” 

Killian falls to the ground, “Milah, you have to run.” 

She shakes her head, “No. I’m not leaving without you.”

“Oh, how sweet. It appears there’s more to this tale than I know. Tell it to me, Milah.”

She looks to her husband, “Please, don’t hurt him. I can explain.”

“Tick tock, dearie. Tick tock.”

Killian tries to will himself up, so that he can be a distraction so she could get away, but his legs won’t let him. 

“That first night, when Killian and his crew came into the tavern, he told stories about the places he’d been. And I fell in love with him.” The Dark One used his own sword and pressed it into his side. The pain radiated through him. “I didn’t mean for it to turn out this way. I didn’t know how to tell you the truth. I’m sorry.”

“And so, here we are. You’ve come to save the life of your twoo wuv – the pirate. I didn’t realize the power of true love before. It is impressive. I’d hate to break it up. Actually, no. I’d love to.” Rumplestiltskin pushes his sword harder into his side.

Only Milah’s words make the sword retreat slightly, “Wait. I have something you want.”

“Well, I find that very difficult to believe.” She pulls out a red knitted hat.

“Where did you get that?”

“You know who I took it from. I may not know what the Dark One wants with a magic bean, but I have it.”

“Oh, I feel a proposal coming on.”

“The magic bean in exchange for our lives. Deal?”

“I want to see it first.” He pulls the sword from Killian’s side and Milah rushes over and helps him up.

“You should leave, now,” he whispers. 

“I refuse to leave you behind.”

“Milah…”

“No, we will find a way.” 

He wants to argue with her. He wants to lunge himself at the Dark One. But he knows there is no use, and his legs won’t obey him anyway. He just knows he is once again about to lose everything, and there is nothing he can do to stop it. There never is. 

\---------

David was walking next to Emma, “We will find him.”

She nods, “Yeah, but what state are we going to find him in. He has 300 years of not that great memories.” She knew she needed to get to him quickly. The longer he was down here, the longer he was subjected to this, who knows if they would be able to pull him out of it. 

They have already recognized multiple people, but the next one is a little shocking. They all stare to see themselves, standing in exactly the same spot in the center of town, this time with Rumple in the center, confronting his father, Peter Pan. 

Rumple’s eye’s widen, and almost everyone knows how this is going to play out. As everyone was there to witness it except Robin. They catch the memory already in play, and the memories Rumple is talking, “I sent it away with something to hide.” He raises his hand into the air; summoning his shadow back with the dagger. He takes hold of the dagger, the shadow reattaches itself to him, and then he grabs his father and holds him to him. 

Pan struggles to get free, “What are you doing?”

Emma looks at their Rumple, “Let’s just keep moving.” He nods back and the group tries to move around the formed memory. 

Rumplestilskin smiles, “You see, the only way for you to die, is if we both die. And now... now, I am ready.” He stabs his father in the back with the dagger in the process also impaling himself. Pan screams in pain while Rumple remains silent. A cloud of black smoke covers Pan, who disappears, but as the smoke dissipates, an older man appears in his place. “Hello, Papa.”

“Rumple, please. You can stop this. Remove the dagger. We can start over,” he begs his son. “We can have a happy ending.”

Snow places a calming hand on Rumple’s shoulder and he nodes in thanks as they walk around. The scene still playing. 

“Oh, but I'm a villain. And villains don't get happy endings.” Rumple twists the dagger embedding it deeper into both of them. His father screams in agony. A golden light peeks out from the blade and begins to shine even brighter. As his father stops resisting the inevitable, Rumple places a kiss on his cheek. The light engulfs them both and then only the younger Pan remains, and he once again starts walking like the rest of the dead they have encountered. 

The group turn at the corner, the ring leading them to the docks. “I should have known,” Emma says out loud as they try to hurry but still be cautious.  
\---------

Dawn is breaking as they get back to the ship, and Milah is supporting Killian’s weight as she get’s him aboard the Jolly. 

Thomas sees her, surprised she is even off the ship, “Milah, what happened?” 

“Fetch some water. And get me that prisoner below deck, along with the goods that he carried. Now!” She moves him to lean against one of the cannons. He can feel the blood trickle down his side, his body weak. 

Thomas turns to the others, “Bring up the prisoner!” 

Rumpelstiltskin boards the ship behind them, “Well, well. Seems like you finally found a family… You could never have with me.”

One of his crew yell at the prisoner, “Alright, get your sorry arse up there.” They drag the man up from below deck. Milah takes the satchel from the prisoner that contains the magic bean. She takes the bean out of the bag and holds it up as evidence for Rumpelstiltskin. 

The Dark One goes to take it, but Milah throws the bean over to Killian who catches it. He knows it is the only way they may get out of this alive. “You asked to see it, and now, you have,” Killian tells him.

She turns to her old husband, “Do we have a deal? Can we go our separate ways?”

“Do you mean, do I forgive you? Can I move on?” He moves down the deck, and she moves closer to Killian. “Perhaps, perhaps. I can see you are twooly in love.”

“Thank you,” she tells him.

“Just one question.”

“What do you want to know?” 

Emma and the rest get to the Jolly and see a memory is playing out. Rumple’s eyes go wide, and she gasps. Both realizing what it is, what he is reliving. She quickly gets on board, followed by everyone else. 

Rumplestiltskin points at Milah, “How could you leave Bae?” Killian watches as several ropes anchored along the ship begin to magically coming undone. He moves the bean into his inner coat pocket, his fist still clenched. “Do you know what it’s like, walking home that night-”

“Rumpel-”

“Knowing I had to tell our son-”

“Please,” she begged. 

“That his mother was dead?”

“I was wrong to lie to you. I was the coward, I-”

“You left him! You abandoned him!”

“And there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t feel sorry for that.”

“Well, sorry isn’t enough! You let him go.”

“I let my misery cloud my judgment,” she tells him.

“Why were you so miserable?”

Snow looks around, “What can we do? How do we stop this?” 

Emma looks at Killian, her heart beating fast, “I don’t know if we can.” 

“Because I never loved you.” Rumpelstiltskin sticks his hand into Milah’s chest.

“Milah!” Killian attempts to run to her, to stop the Dark One, but Rumpelstiltskin waves his hand and he is thrown back into the mast, the ship’s ropes binding him tightly. The Dark One then pulls out her heart. “No!” Killian manages to break free from the ropes, causing one of the hooks to fall to the ground. He runs over to Milah and gently lays her down onto the deck, holding her to him. This can’t be happening. He needs to stop this, somehow. He wants to scream, take me. But he can’t. 

Rumple turns away, unable to look at the scene. Regina holds Henry to her, and keeps his face turned away, while Robin holds them both. 

Milah looks up at Killian, touches the side of his face, “I love you.” And before he gets a chance to return the words, Rumpelstiltskin crushes Milah’s heart to dust in his hand. Tears run down Emma’s face. 

Killian lays her gently on the deck, still holding her hand. His heart crushed, anger and pure hatred running through his veins as he looks at the man who took his life away, “You may be more powerful now, demon, but you’re no lesser a coward.” He stands to face him. 

“I’ll have what I came for, now.”

Killian clenches his fist tightly, “You’ll have to kill me first.” At least maybe then he will be reunited with her, with…

“I’m afraid that’s not in the cards for you, sonny boy.” Rumpelstiltskin draws his sword and slices off his hand, the pain is sharp, and encompassing. But not anywhere near what his heart feels, and his anger fuels him further. “I want you alive. Because I want you to suffer like I did.” He turns to go, but Killian grabs the hook on the deck in a hurry and rushes at the Dark One. He stabs him with it but nothing happens. It doesn’t affect him at all. “Killing me’s going to take a lot more than that, dearie.”

“Even demons can be killed. I will find a way.”

“Well, good luck living long enough.” Rumpelstiltskin disappears in a puff of red smoke, the hook drops to the deck with a thud. Killian leans over, the blood from his arm hitting the deck as he picks it up. In that instance he vows revenge.

“It should end right?” Snow asks, her face wet with tears. But it doesn’t, the memory continues much to everyone’s horror. Even Rumple turns around to see why it hasn’t stopped. 

Killian turns back to Milah. His legs carrying him back to her, and the tears form and freely slide down his face as he crumbles next to her. 

He pulls her into his lap, much like he did his brother. Holding onto her, not wanting to let go. He sees Thomas moving towards him, “Captain…”

“Go away!” He shouts, and holds her tighter. His remaining hand going to her face, in her hair. 

“Captain, you need medical attention.”

“Go away!” He screams, and Thomas stumbles back and goes to a couple other members of the crew. 

Kilian continues to hold her in his arms, what remains of his left wrapped around her, blood going onto her clothes. His right hand moves, shaking down her body to slowly lay on her stomach, and his heart almost feels like it has broken to dust as well. Only his torture is that he still lives. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers to her. Tears landing on her face. “I failed you,” his hand settles more firmly on her barely there bump, “I failed both of you…. I’m so sorry.” 

His crew all lower their heads and mourn for Milah, the unborn child, but most of all their Captain. 

Emma is speechless, this is one thing he did not tell her. Not that she is angry with him, she is angry with one person. She spins to Rumple, “How could you do this!” She screams at him. 

Rumple is shaking his head, in shock… “I…” he swallows, “I didn’t…” he lowers his eyes, “I had no idea…”

Snow is clinging to David. Regina glares at Rumple with tears of her own. David looks to his daughter, “Emma… You need to try to pull him out of this memory. We need to make this stop and get him out of here. You can be angry at Gold later.”

She nods, knowing where her attention needs to be, but she gives one more glare in Rumple’s direction letting him know this is NOT over. She moves over to him, her heart breaking at each step as she hears him weeping, “Killian.” There is no answer. She touches his arm, and he doesn’t move, he doesn’t finch. “Killian,” she says more loudly. Still nothing. She tries to physically move his hand into hers, but she can’t make it budge. She realizes he can’t see her, feel her. He is stuck in the memory as it had originally played out. And his utter heartbreak his killing her. But then she hears movement behind her, and turns to see six members of his crew come up on deck beside her, and she moves out of the way. 

He sees them, and yells again, “I said to GO AWAY!” But this time, his crew doesn’t listen. And all six of them grab him. They get a hold of his arms, legs, anything they can. 

He struggles against them, to get back to her, but they hold him. It takes all six of them to drag him down below the ship. “We are doing this for your own good, Captain,” Thomas says as the door closes behind them. 

Emma walks back to the others, the memory still going. “He couldn’t hear me, or see me. I tried to move his arm, but I couldn’t budge him.”

Regina looked up at her, eyes still red, “Maybe you can get through to him once the Memory is over.”

Robin looks around, “But why isn’t the memory over? It usually ends once all the bad…” He stops as a scream of pure agony is heard from below. They listen for several minutes all knowing that the crew is cauterizing his arm. The screams, making Emma and the others jump each time. With each one, her glare at Rumple get’s more deadly. 

To Rumple’s credit, he keeps his head down, the news more unsettling and upsetting than he would ever want to admit. 

Emma swallows, “Regina, Robin, Gold… head back to the vault. See if there is anything you can find that may help. The rest of us will stay here and see if we can break through to him.” 

Regina looks at Henry, “I think you should…”

Henry shakes his head no, “I want to stay here. I want to try to help him.”

Regina can’t say no to him, and nods her okay. “We’ll take the same path back here as we did before. If you guys manage to break through use it, incase we are on our way back here.” The three leave the ship. 

Henry wraps his arms around his mother, knowing she needs it as much as he does, “We’ll get through to him mom.”

“I know kid, I know,” Emma says hoping that if she says it, she’ll believe it herself. 

\------

Too much time later the screams stop and the Memory fades out. Emma quickly crosses the deck trying to reach him, but another Memory fades back in. Almost exactly the same. But there is a board on the deck, a body wrapped in fabric laying on top of it. She automatically knows who it is, and what is about to happen pieced together with the knowledge about pirates, sailors, and what Killian did tell her. 

Killian walks back out onto the deck, and Emma sees the leather brace now on his arm, her hands tighten into fists once again angry for him. 

He walks to the side of the ship and looks out to the see, they are away from port and now in the tides. He opens his right hand and looks at the magic bean, his decision firm. He will get his revenge on the crocodile if it is the last thing he does. 

Killian turns and looks at the body of the woman he loves along with the child who would never see the light of day wrapped in fabric. He leans down and places a kiss on her forehead on the fabric, and then nods at his men as he steps back to the side of the ship.

The men lift the board, and just like his brother her body is returned to the sea. He knows he no longer has anything left to live for but his vengeance. 

Emma watches off to the side of the ship as Milah’s body gets carried away with the water, she looks to Henry, who just watched his grandmother’s funeral and pulls him closer, giving him a hug. She isn’t sure how much more of this she can take. But for Killian, she know she will do anything. Emma is so wrapped up in thoughts she misses the first few exchanges of this memory with none other than Smee. 

“Well, what if I was to tell you I was about to set sail to a land where none of us will ever grow old? Where I can discover how to get my revenge on Rumpelstiltskin.”

Smee smiles at the Captain, “Guess I could live with that.”

“Good. What’s your name, sailor?”

“William. William Smee. Can I have my hat?” he asks gesturing at the red knit cap on another pirates head.

Killian makes a motion for the pirate to give Smee his hat, and the man tosses it over quickly. “Well, Mr. Smee, welcome aboard.” He holds up the bean, and throws it into the ocean. A vortex in the water opens up. “Hold on and get ready to set sail, mates.” He calls out to his crew as he walks up towards the helm. There’s bumpy seas ahead!”

Smee looks up at him, “What’s the name of the place we’re headed, Captain?”

Killian takes the hook out of his jacket that he used to try to stab Rumplestiltskin, and moves the end into his brace and then twists, locking it into place. His right hand goes to the wheel turning it as he gives a wicked smile, “Neverland.” He turns the wheel more and the ship heads straight for the swirling vortex. He was on his way to get what he needed for his vengeance. 

As soon as the ship goes through the vortex, the Memory fades. She watches as Killian’s pirate gear changes back to the clothes she last saw him in. She goes to him. Reaching for the side of his face, “Killian?” He doesn’t respond, he doesn’t move. He is rooted to the spot. She leans in, and kisses him on the lips, hoping, but when she opens her eyes. Nothing happens, same as before. He isn’t even blinking. 

And then it is too late, another Memory is starting again. She isn’t sure what this one will be. But he is once again back in his pirate leather, and red vest. And as she looks around, she knows where they are. Exactly where the vortex took him originally, Neverland. She watches Smee approach Killian, and has no idea what this memory is about, until the words leave Smee’s lips.

“Captain, why is Baelfire still aboard the Jolly Roger? The boy has given you a path to revenge, but you can't walk that path if you're dead!”

“Careful, Mr. Smee,” Killian gives the warning. That boy is the only thing that has given him some happiness since Milah died. It was almost like maybe, just maybe the universe gave him another chance. Maybe not with his own child but at least hers. 

“Captain, you know quite well that he is after the boy. If you don't surrender Baelfire to him, the lost ones will take him anyway and kill you.”

Emma and everyone else watched the exchange, they knew Balefire didn’t stay, she knew he regretted his decision, but exactly how it happened she didn’t know. But she was pretty sure, she was about to find out. But she was not expecting the angry shout that came out of Killian’s mount.

“I'M THE CAPTAIN! I GIVE THE ORDERS!” He moves away from Smee and down the deck addressing his whole crew, his voice booming as he moves down the stairs. “AND ANYONE WHO DISOBEYS CAN WALK THE PLANK AND PRAY THAT THE MERMAIDS TAKE PITY ON HIS SOUL!”

Emma’s and Henry’s eyes widen as Baelfire appears, carrying a sword and a piece of parchment, screaming and swinging the sword, “Face me, villain!” 

The sword comes close, and Killian moves backwards out of the way, and he motions the rest of the crew to stand down. In a calm voice he looks at the boy, “Whoa! What's this about, Bae?”

Baelfire holds up the parchment, a drawing of Milah on it, “I found this on your desk. It's my mother. How'd you get it?”

“Bae—”

“HOW?” he screams again swingings the sword, and Killian ducks out of the way. “You're the pirate that killed her!” He launches with the sword again and Killian catches it with his hook and tosses the sword away from Balefire. 

“I didn't kill your mother.” His voice comes out in pain, begging him to understand, “We fell in love, and we ran off together. Your father lied to you. He was too much of a coward to tell you the truth.” He takes a step down, putting himself closer to the boy. His eyes pleading for him to understand. “He tore out her heart and crushed it in front of me. And I've spent every moment since then wanting revenge.”

“She abandoned me?”

He couldn’t let him fully believe that, he still regretted it. In many ways he wished they would have taken the boy when he was young, when they left in the first place. But Milah insisted he would be well taken care of with his father. “Not a single day went past where your mother didn't regret leaving you, Baelfire. We talked about going back for you when you were old enough. Perhaps fate brought us together to make good on those plans. We can live the life that Milah wanted for us, as a family.” Killian took a step up to the same level that Bae was on. 

Emma’s heart broke again, she could hear how much he wanted this, how much he felt for the boy.

But the boy wouldn’t listen, “No! Stay back! You used me! You wanted to kill my father!”

“Yes. I did,” he tried to emphasize the past tense of that statement. But he could feel everything he wanted falling through his fingers. 

“You tore apart my family, as sure as if you ripped her heart out yourself.”

He felt his heart squeeze at his words, “Bae, don't.”

Balefire didn’t want to listen, “Take me back to my real family—the Darlings.”

“I... can't. It's not possible to leave Neverland.” He couldn’t give the boy what he wished. He would in that moment, but he couldn’t, he tried again to reason with him, “But you can stay here. Under my protection.”

“I'd rather fend for myself than be with you. I want off this ship, pirate.” With that Baelfire walked away leaving Killian looking after him. Once again, the people he loves leaving him. He debated the alternatives in his head, but he knew with Pan, there was only one choice. And at least if Pan took him to his camp, he may be safe with the other lost boys. 

Emma tried to reach out to him, but they couldn’t get him to move or budge. David and Henry tried to help her, but they couldn’t even move an arm. It was obviously magic, not allowing him them to break through. “It’s hopeless!”

“No. No it’s not!” Snow told her. “Regina or Gold are working on a way too. We will find a way.”

Emma wishes she could believe it, as they watch the memory fade and then quickly regroup. 

Balefire is now at the railing of the ship, a sack of belongings on his shoulder. Killian walks over to him, and tries one last attempt, “Eager to go, I see.”

The boy doesn’t look at him, “Just drop me off anywhere.”

“You really think you can survive on you own?” He tries to reason with him.

“I've never been given the choice.”

“Well, you have one now.”

Balefire turns to look at him, “Anywhere will do.”

“I get you're angry. But it doesn't have to end like this. The ship can be your home, your family.” Please Bae, don’t leave. Stay, his mind begs. “Just say the word. It's not too late to start over. I can change, Bae, for you.”

Emma holds Henry from behind as they watch the exchange. Knowing how much this exchange hurt Killian. Henry remembering him talking about his father, and how he taught him how to read the stars. They both knew how much this moment weighed on his mind. But Henry also knew that this moment was curtial, if it didn’t happen, Henry may not have been born. 

“You say that. I know you'll never change. Because all you care about is yourself.” Bae walks towards the other side of the boat. 

He knows he’s lost, but he also knows he’s comparing him to his father, and he is nothing like that Crocodile. His anger flares, “Thank you.. For reminding me what I'm all about—killing your father!” 

Felix and another of the lost ones appear behind Baelfire and grab him, “You're not letting me go.”

Killian tries to shrug it off, might as well prove the boy right, “How would that help me?”

The lost ones pull him towards their boat, and Bae screams at him, “You hated my father so much, you didn't even realize you were just like him!” With that they are over the edge, Felix still standing on the railing.

“You have the boy. He will be pleased?” Felix doesn’t answer and just jumps over the side of the boat. Killian walks up to the helm, deep in thought, and alone once more, only his vengeance left. The only constant as one after another in his life, leave him. He sees the marks he made for Baelfire for port and starboard to teach him how to steer, and he reaches up with his hook and scratches out the marks with his hook. 

The Memory fades and Killian is once again in his clothes as before. But unlike the last few memories, he is walking towards the edge of the ship, towards the dock. She reaches for him, trying to stop him. Again it does no good. The others follow her and him. 

His mind is a jumble, memories rushing through it. Taking Pan’s orders. Meeting Ursula. Making the Dreamshade poison. Leaving Neverland. The Evil Queen tasking him with killing her mother. Cora casting the protection spell from a curse. The memories kept going. Swirling in his head. As his feet walked by themselves, his eyes not seeing where he was headed.

She was starting to panic. No, he couldn’t become like the others. He didn’t die when he was dragged here. There had to be a way to make him remember. “Where are we going?” She asks to no one in particular.

“What is the next bad thing that happened to him, in Storybrooke?” Snow asked. 

Emma shook her head, “Hell we could be walking to the townline where he got hit by a car. Or to Gold’s shop where he was told that Neal died. We could be heading for the Cemetery. We could be going just about anywhere!” She screamed in frustration. David wrapped an around her, trying to calm her as they continued to walk. 

______

They make their way back into town, and see Regina, Robin and Rumple coming back to them. They rush over to them, “What did you find out?”

Regina looked down, “You have to get through to him.”

Emma’s eyes widened, “You don’t think I have tried? What else am I supposed…” But she is cut off by the forming of his memory once again. This time when his clothes change slightly, and the images appear. She knows exactly what the memory it is, and her heart breaks. Most of them again are standing there, with Killian as the dark magic moves around them. “Oh God, not this.” 

Snow turns her face into David’s chest, she can’t bare to watch this again.

“Where is it?” this Emma asks running up with the dagger in her hand.

“We don’t know.” David responds.

Snow looking around the them, “It just disappeared into the night.” 

Regina and Robin back from their walk, come up as she looks around, “Hey, what's going on?”

“The Dark One... it's no longer tethered to the Crocodile,” Killian tells her. His gut once again telling him this isn’t good. That he should have ended the Crocodile himself when he had the chance. 

“What?! Where the hell is it?” 

Emma looks around, “It hasn't gone anywhere. The darkness... it's surrounding us.” The real Emma shudders, the memories of this all still too fresh. 

The dark magic grabs Regina, making her gasp for air.

Robin screams out, “Regina!” and then turns to the others, “What's it doing?”

They all stare at the black magic swirling around her, as Emma answers “What darkness does... snuffing out the light.”

“I'm not gonna let it,” Robin says and runs towards her but is pushed back by the magic and he rolls back across the pavement.

“That's not gonna work on this thing! The Apprentice told me we have to do what the sorcerer did! We have to tether it to a person to contain it!” She marches forward with the dagger.

“Emma! No!” Regina gasps from trying to get air, “There has to be another way!”

Emma shakes her head, “There isn't. You've worked to hard to have your happiness destroyed.”

She reaches for the dark magic, but David screams, “No!”

She turns back to her parents and Killian, “You figured out how to take the darkness out of me once.” Her voice breaks, “You need to do it again... as heroes.”

Killian runs up to her, grabbing her arm, pleading, “Emma! Emma, please! No. Don't do this.” Please, don’t leave me. His heart screams. I can’t lose you. 

She grasps his hand, holding it over her heart, looking into his eyes, “I love you.” She pushes him away before he can stop her, before he can say it back. His heart, that she somehow manages to put back together, breaking once again. 

He screams one last, “No!” as Emma puts the dagger into the dark magic. The darkness moving to swirl around the dagger and then her. Regina gets free and makes her way to Robin. He holds her, as David holds onto Snow. Killian looks on in horror as the darkness completely swirls around her. He tries to make out her eyes, tries to see her, and then the vortex gets bigger and then flash with magic and Emma is gone as the dagger drops to the pavement with the name Emma Swan on it.

The Memory keeps going as everyone stares in disbelief. Emma looks to Killian and see the heartbreak clearly written on his features. 

“Now, Emma. Now!” He mother tells her.

“What?” Emma is confused. “It doesn’t work.”

David shakes his head, “Those memories were before you. This memory is about you.”

She runs up to him, stands in front of him. Her hands cupping his face. “Killian. Killian please… come back to me.” She doesn’t see any recognition, but she tries one last possibility, and she leans in and kisses him once more. Almost immediately she feels it. The magic sweeping across her, across everyone. True Love’s kiss. But she holds on for dear life, and pulls him even closer. And then her heart soars when she feels his lips responding to hers. His arms moving up and pulling her towards him. 

He is the one to slowly pull away, and she chases his mouth, not ready to part. “Swan?”

Tears run down her face, but this time unlike the last few days, these are from happiness. “It’s me.”

His hand is on the side of her face, his eyes staring at her, “How?”

She smiles up at him, “Does it matter how, has anything ever stopped me before?” 

He smiles and rests his forehead against hers. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous.”

“We are here to get you out of here, and that is what we are going to do.” And with that word, that one word, ‘we’ he looks up to see everyone else. In that moment he realizes he truly has a family. Not one that he just wants, but one that also wants him in return. He swallows seeing Henry, David, Snow, Regina, Robin… and Rumplestiltskin. She see’s his wonder at everyone, but downright shock at Rumple, “It’s a long story.” 

Henry breaks away from Regina, and collides into the two of them. Killian's arm snakes around the boy and pulls them both close. His eyes closing, relishing the moment. 

“We need to get out of here,” Regina tells them, “The reunion can continue once we get back home.” They quickly make their way back to the cemetery, but she refuses to let go of his hand the entire way. She’s not going to let go of her pirate ever again. 

\-----  
Luckily they made it back to the vault without to much issue. Killian looked around, still in disbelief at the rescue party. He looked down at his hand, Emma’s fingers still intertwined with his. 

Emma looks at everyone as she takes out Merlin’s wand, opens the vault door and makes one more magical vortex. She shuts the door, and this time, Rumple hands her the once again mended teacup. She waves the wand over the teacup, making it glow in her hand. This time the magic tethering to Belle, a person waiting for them in Storybrooke. 

“Everyone hold on!” Emma calls out over the noise of the vortex. 

Once again every holds on to what they can. Killian grabs onto a ledge with his hook, but his arm wrapps around Emma, as both of hers wrap around him. Neither willing to let go ever again. 

A few minutes later they land once more. “Everyone okay?” David calls out once again, they get affirmatives from all but two people. They look over to find Emma and her pirate in a passionate kiss. 

He clears his throat, and Snow swatted his shoulder. “Leave them alone.” 

“Oh come on you to, go find a room,” Regina tells them.

They break apart, his eyebrow arching at the queens suggestion. Emma smiles up at him, “She may have a point.” His eyes widen.

“Oh no!” David starts.

“David! They are confirmed True Love. She just got him back from Hell. What more do you want?”

Rumple shakes his head, having had enough he opens the Vault doors and exits quickly. Killian watches him go, and even if he didn’t want to, he knew at some point he was going to have to thank him for his help. Emma shook her head, “No you don’t.”

His hand came to the side of her face, “Reading my mind love?”

“Open book,” she told him, and he laughed as she cupped the side of his face. “You have no debt to Gold. If anything I think he owes you.” The look on his face made it clear he didn’t understand. She looks over and smiles at the others, and both her mother and Henry wave her out. And then a little reluctantly her father nods as well. She pulls Killian out of the vault with her. She gives a quick look around, confirming it really was Storybrooke, and then in an instant they were both standing in his quarters on the Jolly Roger. 

“Well love, I didn’t expect you to take what Regina said quite so literally.” 

But he barely got that out of his mouth, before she attacked him with hers. The kiss was highly passionate, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Slowly she pulls her lips away, and looks into his eyes. “Don’t ever do that again.”

He smiles, “I hopefully won’t have to. But I can’t promise you I won’t. I’d do anything for you love.” Tears stream down her face, “Emma… I love you more than anything.”

“And I love you. But don’t you dare leave me again.” She pulls him in for another kiss needing to feel that he is real, the he is really here. And he feels exactly the same way. His hook pressed to her back, bringing her close. But his hand couldn’t decide where it wanted to be. In her hair, cupping her cheek, pulling at her hip. 

He pulls back this time, looking into her deep green eyes. His eyes scanning her face, his thumb caressing the indent in her chin. “It’s hard to believe you are really here.” His fingers trail over her lips and she kisses them, as they went past, and then went to cup her cheek again. “After getting pulled down there. After seeing that bloody dark vortex again…” He shook his head trying to get it out of his brain. 

“You remember that?” She choked out, her eyes wide. She was hoping that he didn’t remember the memories that were played for him to live again. And not just that one.

His eyes snap up to her, “What do you mean? Wait… how did you know I relived that memory?”

She looked down, her hands tightening around him. “We saw the memory. It was reenacted in clarity.” One of her hands goes up to play in the hair at the nape of his neck, “I’m sorry you had to go through that the first time, let alone a second.” Her fingers traveled over his cheek. “Is that the only one you remember?” she asks, hopeful. 

His eyes widen, and he drops his arms and takes a few steps back, swallowing hard, “Bloody hell, how many did you see?”

In that instant, she knows he remembers them all, “Are you okay? I can only imagine what it would be like to live those again, and so close together.”

“How many did you see? How many did everyone see?” he asks again, a little louder, not because he was angry, but he was starting to panic. What all did they see? Who was there to see it? 

“Killian…” her hand reaches out for him again, trying to comfort him. 

“Tell me!” He screams and sees her jump, and then regrets it. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I…” His head sinks, and he tries to calm his breathing. 

Emma swallows, “We found you right before Rumplestiltskin pulled out Milah’s heart.” She said softly. His head lowered, and she continued, she needed to tell him the truth, “All of us where there.” 

He backed up into the wall, and slid down it to the floor, his eyes closed tight, the memory of those events once again dancing in front of his mind. She moved to the floor next to him, and pulled him into her, wrapping her arms around him. He leaned into her, taking the comfort. “I’m sorry you had to see…” He closed his eyes, and then they shot open and looked at her, “Oh God, Henry…”

She rubbed his back, “Henry’s fine.” She gave him a soft smile, “He kinda got to see his father as a boy, and his grandmother.” 

“Swan…” He looks down, “You saw it all…”

Emma nods, “Killian, why didn’t you tell me about Milah?”

He straightens back up, pulling away and looking at the wall, “I did tell you about Milah.”

“There was one huge shock in the memory. For all of us in that party, even one that was there to see it the first time.” She tries to pull him back to her, but he won’t budge. “I turned on Gold so fast, I almost killed him for you. The only reason I didn’t…” She finally got his attention, and she could see the water in his eyes, “Is that he looked completely shocked and horrified in that moment for what he did.” 

“Are you saying I should forgive…”

She cut him off immediately, “No. Never.” She tries once again to get him to come to her, he still won’t, but at least he is turned towards her, and she touches the side of his face again. She knows they both needed the contact right now. Even if it is difficult because of the subject matter. “Why didn’t you tell me Milah was pregnant?” She asks simply. She wasn’t angry, she just wanted to know. 

A tear escapes and slides down his cheek, her thumb wipes it away gently. “It’s enough I have to live with it. Let alone anyone else I care about.” 

She gives him a small smile, but knows better, “They may be part of it, but not all.”

“Emma…” He looks up at her, but sees that he won’t get anywhere, her superpower in full force today. “Love… I…” He took a breath, “It isn’t something I just tell anyone, so when we met…”

She smiles, “I get that. But once we were together. We talked about so much. You told me more specifics about that day and others. Why not then? You can’t possibly think I would think bad of you, heck it would have made everything make even more sense.”

He gave a light smile and took her other hand, holding it. “I didn’t know how you would take it. I know how bad it was for you at Henry’s birth. And I didn’t want that part of my past to,” he pauses, “I still don’t want it to interfere with how you look at me, or what it is that you want in our future.” 

“Killian, are you saying you didn’t want me to know that you were actually wanting to be a father?” She was confused. She knew he would be a great one, the way he his with Henry. To a degree how he was with Balefire. The way he even is currently with her brother. “That you, the big bad pirate has a soft side, and want a life with a family?” He is about to speak, “Because you don’t hide it very well.” She gave him a soft smile, “Besides, if you still want that…”

“I do. I want all of it.” He stops, “But Emma… YOU are my happy ending. I don’t NEED anything else. So whatever you want, as long as we are together…” He trails off, gripping her hand tighter. “As long as we are together, I’m the happiest man in the world.” 

She smiles, her fingertips trailing along his jaw, and then back into the hair at the nape of his neck. “Well, I did already tell you about the whole white picket fence. So I think my thoughts are pretty clear on what I want.”

He smiles, and his hook goes to scratch behind his ear, “I’m not sure I really understand what that means to be honest, love. There wasn’t really white picket fences back in the enchanted forest.” Emma let out a small laugh. “But when you said it in Camelot, I knew it meant some kind of good future together…” 

She gives another soft smile, “It means the perfect life. And in this world, it typically means a big house, nice big yard, married with kids, usually including a dog, and it is all surrounded by a white picket fence.” 

Killian gives her a soft smile, “You think about that?” Then he stops and remember the house she got while she was the Dark One, “The house… it has a white picket fence.”

She smiled, “Yeah my other persona thought about that when she got it. However, I’m putting it up for sale.”

He swallowed, “So you don’t want that anymore.” His eyes looked down. 

Her hand lifts his chin back up to look into her eyes, “I still want all that. Just… not in that house. There are too many memories. Besides, I don’t need a cave in the basement.”

He givesa soft chuckle, “That would be bad for the kids to get into.”

She smiled, “Kids, huh? As in plural?” 

He shrugged his shoulders, “If you want.” She moves to stand up, and he quickly says, “Emma, I didn’t mean…”

She offers him her hand, which he takes and she helps pull him up. “Killian, I’m not saying no. We just may be getting ahead of ourselves.”

“You’re right love, there is something that we need to do first. I should talk with your parents.”

“What?” Then it dawned on her, and she laughed. “Oh I didn’t mean that. And this isn’t the enchanted forest…”

He looks at her in question, “Then what love?”

“Well, we can’t be having kids, without at least practicing the making of them.” His eyebrow raised. “Which with everything going on we never got to. We really need to live in those quiet moments.” 

His arms wrap around her, “What are you saying Swan?”

Her hands went to splay on his chest, her fingers twining in the chest hair that was exposed, making his eyebrow raise higher. “That I want you to jab me with your sword.”

It was impossible for his eyebrows to go higher, or is smirk to get bigger, “Remember that line did you? Just how long have you been waiting to use that?”

“Long enough,” she says leaning into him, kissing him. Her fingers grasping his chains to pull him closer, and that’s when she remembered, and pulled back. “That reminds me, I need to give you something back.” Taking her hands off him, she pulls off the chain around her neck with his ring on it. She quickly waves her hand over it to clean it from the spell, and holds it out to him. “Please put this back on. It kept you alive all those years, and without it, you…” She can’t say it. “I need you to take it back.”

He takes the ring into his hands, holding it. “Okay, I will. But I want to give you something in return.” He moves away from her and they both already miss the contact. He puts the chain over his head, the ring resting under his clothes as he moves over to his safe. He takes off his hook, and uses it as a key. The safe opens, and he locks his hook back in place. He reaches inside and takes out a small velvet pouch. He closes the safe and returns by her side. 

Emma eyes the little pouch, “What is that?”

He grins and shakes his head, “Patience Swan.” He holds the strings of the pouch with his hook, as his fingers reach inside and pull out another ring. This one she remembers, it was the one he wore on his left pinky finger when he had his hand back for their first date. The engraved silver metal shining with the round ruby. He puts the pouch on the table, “It was my mother’s wedding ring.” 

Killian looks up at her, seeing her eyes wide. “And since you say I don’t need to ask you parents for permission.” He is watching her every reaction to see if there is any reason to stop, but besides her swallowing, and wide eyes, she gives him no reason to. “I love you Emma. Probably since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Her eyes were starting to water, her heartrate was going a mile a minute, she couldn’t breathe, but not because she was scared. She was welcoming it with open arms. She knew she wanted this the moment he had presented her with the other ring in Camelot. 

“I realized I loved you in Neverland, I realized I would do anything for you when I gave up my ship for the chance to just see you again. You brought the light back into my life. You gave me a reason to live. And now, I have so much more than I ever thought I could. More than I ever thought I deserved. I still don’t believe, and I doubt I ever will, that I deserve you. But, I want you. Now and forever.” He slowly lowers himself down to one knee, raising the ring to her, and looking up into her teary eyes. “Emma, my love, will you marry me?”

She is shaking, and finds that at the moment she doesn’t have words. She pulls him to his feet, and pulls him into a kiss. Her arms wrapping around his neck once more, deepening the kiss for her answer.

He slowly pulls back to look at her, “Is that a yes?” he asks hoping it was, worried that she was kissing him to soften the blow of a no. 

“Yes…” She finally manages to get out, “Yes of course!” He kisses her again, and then places the ring onto her left ring finger, and it fit perfectly. She smiled. Of course it did. She wraps her arms back around him, looking up into his bright blue eyes, “I think this is cause to celebrate. Maybe some pillaging and plundering?” 

His eyes shine down into hers, the happiness evident in them. “I think I can arrange that,” and with that he leans down to kiss her and backs her towards his bed. Their white picket fence life finally back on track. 

\-----

Pain and Panic looked at the floor in front of their master, neither wanting to look him in the eyes. 

“He what?” Hadees screamed at them.

“The Pirate escaped,” Pain answered. 

“How?” 

“The Savior and others came and got him. They took him back to the land of the living,” Panic explained. 

Hades got up, and started pacing, “And just how did they wake him from his Memories?”

Pain and Panic look at each other, and Pain answered, “The Savior, she gave him True Love’s kiss.”

His head shot up with a smile, “Really? And how did they leave?”

Panic eyes Pain again, “They used some wand to create a magical vortex.”

Hades started laughing, “This is perfect. This is exactly what I have been waiting for!”

Pain and Panic look at each other in question, their master wasn’t making sense.

“They opened up the door for me to the Land without Magic.” His grin got bigger as he rubbed his hands together. “Boys, time to prepare our landing party.”


End file.
